Chasing Phoenix
by StuckInReality89
Summary: Everyone assumes Bill Kaulitz is the gay one because he acts so feminine. But what if he's just trying to distract people? Tom Kaulitz is in the closet and planning to stay there-until he meets Phoenix. They all hit it off, and everything gets shaken up.
1. ProEpilogue

Pro-Epilogue

Bill and Tom were in their hotel suite, having just finished another concert. In Phoenix's absence, Tom had taken to spending the night with his brother. He was still lonely, and he still wished for a do-over every night before he shut his eyes, but having his twin there made things a bit easier. At the very least, he hadn't been crying into a pillow anymore. Frequently, anyway.

They had just watched two hours of Scrubs, and were each about sleep when Tom turned over and whispered to the other side of the room, "Bill?"

There was no response. Tom chucked a pillow from one bed to the other.

"Bill?" he called again, louder.

A muffled groan came from the dark-haired singer. "What?"

"D'you think…I was kinda wondering…should I…I want to come out, Bill. Publicly, I mean. Tell people." He paused for a moment. "What do you think?"

Bill raised his head from the pillow. "Why are you asking me? It's _your _decision."

"Well, I just…you know, the band…I didn't know whether you all would want me to," he finished.

"Tomi, you know that I want you to do whatever makes you happy. What kind of twin would I be if I didn't?" Bill frowned.

"Well, yeah, but…I mean, what if…I just don't what it would do to the band!" he finally got out, waving his arms for emphasis.

Bill cracked up laughing, burying his face in the pillow. Tom looked downright affronted.

"What's so funny?" he demanded when Bill's laughter had subsided. "_What?_"

A wry grin was spread across his younger brother's face. "You silly idiot," he said. "Do you honestly think it would make a difference?"

"Yes, why wouldn't it?" he asked, taken aback.

"Everyone already thinks _I'm _gay, and we've still got fans, haven't we? What difference does it make whether it's you, me, or the king of Norway whose gay?"

"Well, what if it does? No one cares if _you're_ gay because girls and guys of every orientation think you're hot! I'm not exactly androgynous, if you hadn't noticed!"

"Tom. It's not going to change anything. And the band will still be together. If we still have _one_ fan, we'll keep going for them. Besides, if you don't tell them, I will," Bill threatened.

"You wouldn't," Tom gasped, horrified.

"I would," Bill bluffed. "You know I would."

"You promised you wouldn't!"

"When we were _twelve!_ Look, you and Phoenix are perfect together, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to get you two together again. You may not have realized it, but you were just waving your arms around the exact same way he does. So, _yes_, I would. You tell them, or I will." Bill smiled.

Tom didn't look happy.

"You wanted to tell them before I said I would," Bill reminded him, rolling back over. "I'll give you a week."

There was a loud, resounding sigh from Tom, and nothing more was said.

TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH

The next day, Tom walked over to the room where Georg and Gustav were staying. He had a key, and entered without knocking. They were each sitting on their respective beds, munching away on their room-service breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and bacon. They looked up when he entered the room. He took a seat on the edge of the closest bed, Gustav's, and asked, "So…what are you guys doing today?"

"Not much that I know of," Gustav answered. "Why?"

Tom fidgeted with the bedspread. "Um…I'd like to call a press conference," he said, hesitantly looking up.

Georg gazed at him for a minute. "Is this about…?" he started to ask, trailing off as Tom nodded. "Okay, then."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Gustav asked quietly.

"Yeah," Tom said, exhaling a gust of air. "I've waited long enough for someone to find out and plaster it all over the tabloids; I might as well do it myself. If you're sure it won't affect anything with the band, then there's really nothing holding me back."

Georg raised an eyebrow. "Tom, we've been over this. It's _fine, _okay? Just go for it."

"Okay. Great," the dreadlocked twin said, standing up. "Alright, then." He clasped his hands together. "Thank you," he said, walking to the door.

"Don't mention it," Gustav said lightly.

TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH

"Hey, Jost? Can you call a press conference?" Tom was pacing his hotel room, his phone to his ear. Bill followed him with his eyes, lounging on the bed. His songwriting notebook was lying open in front of him.

"No, it doesn't matter, just get the usual guys. The ones we like." He walked over to the mini-fridge. "No, I can't tell you, you'll find out at the conference, but yes, I cleared it with the guys." Grabbing a water bottle, he shifted the phone to his other ear and held it with his shoulder as he opened the bottle. "Thanks, Jost. You're the best." He closed the phone and threw it on his bed.

"It's go time," he said, turning to Bill and taking a swig of water.


	2. Sacrifice Road

Author's Note: Everything in _italics _takes place when the twins are seven years old; it's a memory. Everything not in italics takes place when the twins are twelve years old.

Chapter 2: Sacrifice Road

_Bill stroked Tom's forehead softly. "Shh. Shh, it's okay," he whispered. "I'm still here. It'll be okay."_

"_It won't," Tom moaned. "Nothing-will ever-be the same-again…" His shoulders shook with his voice._

_A sob escaped his older brother. Older, but still younger in a way. Bill rubbed his hands over Tom's back, soothing and comforting him the way their mom always did. Truthfully, he felt his world falling apart just as much as Tom's world. Tom was breaking down now, though, and he would be there for him as much as needed. His own eyes were dry; his grieving had all been done earlier, in the privacy of the shower, tears mixing with running water._

"_Shh, shh," Bill said again. The front of his pajama shirt was damp._

"_It's because of me, isn't it?" Tom cried. "It's my fault!" A new fit of sobs racked his seven-year-old frame. _

"_What?" Bill stopped moving his hand across Tom's back. "How could you think that?"_

"_He hates me!" Tom wailed. "He hates what I am!"_

"_What are you talking about?" Bill protested. "Tomi, what do you mean?"_

_The only response was yet another sob. "What is it, Tom?" Bill asked again. He resumed rubbing his brother's back._

_Tom didn't reply, only shook his head and continued crying._

Bill woke up with a start. There was a tapping noise coming from the door of his room. Groaning, he rolled out of bed and shuffled over to the door, wondering about the significance of his dream. He hadn't thought about that day more than eight times in the past five years.

He opened the door to find his older brother standing there.

"Why didn't you just come in?" he asked in surprise. Tom squirmed a little, then seemed to shrug. "Well, come on, then," Bill said, swinging the door open wide and stepping aside. Tom walked in, wringing his hands, and Bill shut the door and climbed back into bed. Tom hesitated, then settled down onto the bed as well, laying on top of the sheets instead. He slid away as Bill tried to nestle up to him, giving him a small smile to reassure him. The moonlight poured in the window and illuminated his troubled looking eyes.

Ever resilient, Bill reached out and took one of Tom's hands in his. "What's wrong?" he said softly.

Tom glanced away. "You have the same dreams as me…" he whispered. His eyes flickered back to his twin's face.

"Yeah," Bill replied. Tom's eyes closed and he seemed to be bracing himself for something. "I never told you…why," he began, struggling with the words.

"Why…you said-why you though it was…your fault?" Bill finished for him.

"Yeah." Tom's voice was small and strained, his eyes open again. He took a deep breath. "If you're going to-if you hate me, it's…I understand," he said.

"Tom, you know I could never-"

"Let me finish. Please," he added. And please, even if you do end up hating me, please don't tell anyone else." His gaze was steady, scrutinizing his younger brother's face. Promise me," he said.

"Of course," Bill agreed. "I promise." He gave Tom's hand a soft squeeze.

"Okay," Tom said. "Thank you. Good." He nodded to himself, then took another deep breath, his eyes closed. Opening them again, Bill noticed they were hard, set, and determined.

"I'm gay."

Bill's fingers twitched, but he didn't pull away. He was silent, gazing at his twin.

A minute passed, two, three. Finally breaking the deafening silence, Tom asked, "Do you hate me?"

"No."

Another minute passed as Tom waited.

"Well, say something, then," he pleaded.

"Why-how could you have thought that that would've caused…?" Bill appeared flummoxed.

"I don't know, I just…_I _hated myself, after-well, not after I 'realized' it, because I always knew, but after I realized it was a bad thing." He stared off into space, remembering.

"You know-I mean, it's not a bad thing. You know that, right?" Bill asked. "It's not a big deal. I'll still love you, no matter what. I'm here, always."

"Are you sure?" Tom whispered. His eyes looked watery, as though he were about to cry.

"Always."

Bill moved toward him again, and this time Tom didn't pull away. He snuggled in closer, resting his head on his brother's chest, and Bill felt a single tear land on his shirt. He began rubbing Tom's back, just as he had done five years ago.

"Always," he whispered again.


	3. Enlightenment

Chapter 3: Enlightenment

Bill reached for his eyeliner. Opening his compact mirror with the other hand, he began applying liberal amounts of makeup to his eyes, adopting the raccoon look he and everyone else were used to.

Georg walked into the part of the tour bus the guys had deemed the "living room" and with a great yawn, plopped down onto the couch. Tom and Gustav looked up from their video game for a second before going back to killing each other. Georg glanced around, then sighed. "I'm bored," he complained. "There's nothing to do."

"After I beat Tom, we could play a different game," Gustav suggested. The game they were playing was two-player only. Tom snorted and said, "I've still got five lives and you've got…oh, yeah! _One._"

"I'm sick of video games," sighed Georg.

"Well, we're not. Maybe you and Bill could do something," Tom said, taking his attention off the game for just a second to let Gustav catch up. One life wouldn't make much difference, and if it did, he could use a bit of a challenge anyway.

"Yeah, Georg, I could do your makeup! Or paint your nails! I hope plain black is okay, I just ran out of white yesterday." Bill turned and rummaged through the makeup piled on the table, missing the look on Georg's face.

"Uh, thanks, but unlike you, I'm a guy, and guys don't wear makeup. Maybe when your body starts producing testosterone instead of estrogen, you'll realize that."

Tom paused the game as he and Gustav turned to watch the brewing argument.

Bill's face fell, and he began putting all his cosmetics back in their bag, saying huffily to Georg, "Wearing makeup does not make me any more feminine than you, with your long hair."

Gustav and Tom sat watching the squabble like a tennis match, turning back and forth between the two, their video game controllers lying forgotten on the floor behind them.

Georg pulled his hair into a ponytail, snapping the rubber band off his wrist around it roughly. "No, you're right. Your being_ gay_ makes you feminine."

Tom and Gustav turned to Bill, whose eyes were flashing.

"You know, I'm sick and tired of the med- of you always making snide comments about my sexuality! You seem to have quite an obsession with it; maybe you're gay!" he snapped, picking up last palette of eyeshadow and throwing it in the bag, none too gently.

Gustav and Tom swiveled to Georg. Tom was snapping the sweatband around his wrist.

He stood up. "I'm not fucking queer! Just because you called me beautiful (1) doesn't mean I'm gonna turn gay for you! Go homo-crush on somebody else!"

Tom had had enough. Standing up, he shouted at Georg, "You know, if you're bored, that doesn't give you the right to take it out on us. I'm fed up with it!" He threw down the controller and furiously stalked off to the back of the tour bus.

Georg looked after him in embarrassment, his eyes seeming to hold a twinge of regret. But when he turned back to Bill, it was gone again, his face showing annoyance instead. He opened his mouth to spit out an angry retort, but before he could say anything, Bill cut him off.

"You know, Georg, I'm not gay, but if _you_ were, I wouldn't make such a big deal out of it," he said quietly, disappointment showing in his eyes. With that said, he grabbed his makeup bag and walked out, following Tom.

Gustav gave a tiny "oh!" of realization. Georg snapped his head around.

"I'm _not _gay. Don't you start, too," he stated, his voice hard and his shoulders tense.

Gustav merely turned to the TV and switched it from video games to an episode of Scrubs. He let his mind wander, pensive over what he had just realized.


	4. Fateful Occurence

Chapter 2 ("Fateful Occurrence" as a temporary title)

Naomi's POV

Phoenix and I stood together, surrounded by screaming fans but entirely isolated. Hearing Bill singing to us and us alone, we were in our own little world.

"Und wenn Ich nicht mehr kann, denk Ich daran!"

He turned to face me, his green eyes sparkling. "How is it possible for one guy to be this amazing? There would have to be a lot of people walking around with absolutely nothing amazing about them whatsoever," he shouted over the loud beat of the bass and drums. I merely shrugged and continued to sing along.

"Weil uns einfach nichts mehr halten kann!"

When we had heard that Tokio Hotel would be coming to our city in four months, we knew we _had_ to get tickets. After two weeks of begging, our parents gave in, his more willing than mine. Four months of chores and I.O.U.s later, here we were.

I owed my obsession to Phoenix, who was _at least _five times more obsessed than me. They were my favorite band, of course, and I owned a good deal of their merchandise, but I had long ago admitted I wasn't as intent on marrying any of them as my best friend was. I knew the likelihood of that was closer to the negative numbers, so I didn't waste my time fantasizing over it.

Phoenix, on the other hand, had already planned every detail of his wedding to Bill, right down to the napkins, and picked out names for the three children they would adopt from-where else?-Tokyo, Japan.

I had been sitting in math class one day, and since our teacher let us have our iPods out, Phoenix was, in his words, "rocking out" to _Scream_. The volume was loud enough that I could hear the basic tune of the songs from where I was sitting behind him, and after about the third one I tapped him on the shoulder. Turning around, he pulled the headphones out and tossed a casual "Hey," my way.

Slightly caught off guard by how his eyes seem to glow, all I could say was, "Umm…"

"Yes?" He asked, a slightly confused smile crossing his face.

"Oh," I said brightly. "I, uh, just wondered what song that was. It sounded really good."

He grinned. "Sorry, did I have it that loud? It's called 'Love Is Dead' by Tokio Hotel. Have you heard of them?

"No," I replied, writing down what he had said.

"Tokio with an 'I', not a 'y,'" he told me, pointing to the page. "They use the German spelling of it. No one ever spells it right the first time."

"Oh," I said again. Trying to sound a little smarter (hey, this guy was cute!), I asked,"So are they from Germany then?"

"Yeah," Phoenix said, reaching for his iPod. "Do you want to borrow it for the rest of class?"

"Sure," I said. "Do you just loan your iPod out to anyone who compliments your music?" I asked him, raising my eyebrow. Finally, an intelligent sentence!

"Well, yeah, but only if it's Tokio Hotel specifically that they compliment. I guess you could call me a fan recruiter. The way I see it, the more fans they have, the more concerts and tours and such they'll do," he explained, handing me the orange Nano. It looked like a fourth generation.

"Ah. So you're something of a Tokio Hotel missionary?" I said, smirking and toying with the headphones.

"Well, you could say that. I love them. But if you end up converting, you should know that I've got dibs on Bill, and you'll have to fight me for him. Unless of course he really _is _straight, in which case you'll only have to compete with all the other fan_girls._"

"Oh," I said, caught off guard. "Are you…?" I trailed off.

"Gay?" he asked, finishing my sentence. "Yeah. Isn't it obvious? Everyone else seems to think it is." He gestured to his eyes, which were rimmed thickly in eyeliner, and his platinum blonde hair, which had a streak of blue in it and, now that he pointed it out, appeared to require a _lot_ of styling. Glittering in his earlobes were silver stud earrings, and the whole affect was topped off with another stud in his nose.

"NAOMI!"

"Huh? What?" I asked, coming out of my reverie and noticing that the music had stopped. Phoenix was standing in front of me, waving a hand in front of my face.

"_There_ you are! Where were you? You totally zoned out. Anyway," he plowed on, not waiting for an answer, "they finished the concert, and-you totally missed it-they threw a bunch of mini posters into the crowd, and I scored us one! You must've been really out of it, huh?" he added.

"Yeah," I admitted. "Just remembering how you converted me to Tokio Hotel-ism."

"Well, remember later! Let's go get in line for the signing session!" He tugged impatiently at my hand and we jostled our way through the crowd to where security guards were lining people up.

Third Person POV

The boys of Tokio Hotel sat at the signing table, Toby and Saki on either side of them, with the line of excited, screaming fans stretching out in front of them. They had been signing autographs for a little over half an hour. Experience had taught them a few things, but mostly it had taught them to stick to a strict time limit with each fan, or they would be here all night.

"Hey," the boys greeted the girl standing in front of them. Tom nudged Bill under the table. "Crier, five bucks," he muttered in German. Sure enough, amidst her near-hyperventilating squees of excitement, she burst into tears. Bill sighed and passed his wallet to his brother, trading it for the poster Georg, Gustav, and Tom had already signed. Scrawling his name hastily he handed it back to the girl, who was now gasping "I love you!" repeatedly and choking out each of their names in turn. Despite being one of the non-level-headed fans, she stepped away from the table after the autographed picture had been returned to her. Some fans (three already this night), unfortunately, had to be asked by the TH security to "keep it moving" because they lost all sense of mind and just stood there gawking.

Tom glanced swiftly at the line of still eagerly awaiting fans to see how many were left, then looked at the table again, but quickly jerked his head up again. There had been a pair of amazingly green eyes amongst the crowd; where were they…?

Naomi's POV

"Did you see that?" Phoenix shrieked, flapping his arms animatedly as he danced in placed. "Tom just made eye contact with me! Oh mein Gott!"

"So?" I asked. "I thought you liked Bill. Calm down, you're going to take someone's eye out like that."

"I do, but I made eye contact with one of the Tokio Hotel guys!" He continued dancing, but eased the arm flailing. "Heilig Sheiβe!"

"Well, what were you expecting? You had to look them in the eye at some point. Or were you just going to get up there and stare at your feet the entire time?" I asked rhetorically.

"No!" He looked aghast at the very idea. "But since Tom noticed me before we even got up there, that could monumentally lift my chances of them remembering me."

I raised my eyebrow. "If you say so," I shrugged, then looked back over to the table again. Tom was squinting, scanning the line. "Ooh, look, he's looking for you!" I teased.

Phoenix spun around, but too late; Tom had just shook his head and returned to signing autographs.

Third Person POV

Sighing in defeat, Tom turned to Bill and whispered, "Keep a lookout for a green-eyed hottie," before quickly scribbling his name onto the cover of a _Scream _CD someone had handed him.

"Guy or girl?" Bill whispered back, taking the CD and adding his name.

"What do you think?" Tom said sarcastically. "I gave up on trying to set you up with a date. I'll know him when I see his eyes, but keep watch. I looked again and he was gone."

Bill nodded his agreement, wondering to himself why his brother was bothering. It wasn't like he could pursue a real relationship right now-not without giving himself away.

Naomi's POV

"Heilig Sheiβe!" Phoenix practically shouted in my ear. "We're next! Oh mein Gott! Does my hair look okay? Do I have anything in my teeth? On my face? On my shirt? Is my fly zipped? How's my breath? Is my makeup smudged? Oh mein Gott, we're next!"

I looked him over. "I don't see anything wrong, except…" I hesitated.

"What?" he shrieked, looking frantic.

I winced and rubbed my ears. "Well, there's the fact that you keep shouting, you're about to hyperventilate, and you look like you're going to pee your pants. But other than that, you're fine!"

"Oh, very clever," he retorted, but he settled down. The security guard motioned us forward, and I grabbed his hand and pulled him with me. It was our turn!

Third Person POV

"Well, there's the fact that you keep shouting, you're about to hyperventilate, and you look like you're going to pee your pants. But other than that, you're fine!" said the tall girl standing with the green-eyed hottie Bill was supposed to be keeping an eye out for. They were next in line. Bill nudged Tom under the table.

"I know," he said under his breath, captivated.

The boy stood still again, and the girl grabbed his hand and walked toward the table. Bill's heart stopped, then began to beat double time. She had an adorable heart-shaped face, largely taken up by her eyes. They were dark, and yet light at the same time, and absolutely mesmerizing. One was almost hidden by her long bangs, which were streak-highlighted a color only a bit darker than the rest of her hair, an unusual shade of auburn. A few stray freckles were splattered across her tiny up-turned nose. She was…breathtaking, that seemed to be a good description.

Bill stopped himself from staring, having to give himself a little mental slap to do so. She was standing in front of him now, and without even pausing to think about it, he stuck out his hand to shake hers. Generally, the boys avoided skin contact with fans, as it was a sure way to spread germs to themselves and other fans, but Bill had to feel her hand in his.

She took his hand, and he noticed that her skin was incredibly soft, pale, and complemented perfectly with a shade of orange nail polish brought out a rosy glow in her hands.

"Hi," he gasped out. "I'm Bill," he said, before mentally slapping himself again. _Way to state the obvious! _he thought.

She laughed. "Thank you, Captain Obvious!" she said, voicing his thoughts. "I'm Naomi," she added, "but that probably doesn't matter, since there are a lot of girls here and you're not likely to remember me." She glanced at her friend, who Tom was introducing himself to, and said, "Phoenix is definitely the more memorable one between the two of us."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Bill said, taking her by surprise. "I would remember you." He seemed to realize what he had just said, and ducked his head, blushing deeply. Looking at the poster that Georg, Gustav, and Tom had already signed, he noticed that his older brother had added his number under his name. Laughing internally, he scrawled his own name, and without a second's hesitation, added his number underneath it. Looking back up at Naomi, he saw that she had moved to the side, letting Phoenix meet Bill.

"Oh, hello," Bill said pleasantly. Phoenix seemed to be struggling not to squeal in excitement.

"Hi!" he managed. "You-your music-the way you sing-your hair-squeeeeeeee!" Unable to restrain himself any longer, he let out a shriek and, throwing himself at Bill, attempted to hug the startled singer. Fortunately, Naomi launched herself at Phoenix simultaneously and prevented it.

"Sorry about him!" she said, her cheeks darkening in embarrassment. She held Phoenix's arms down at his sides.

Bill laughed lightly. "Don't worry about it," he said. "It wouldn't be the first time I've been hugged by someone who gets a little overexcited."

Tom elbowed him; there were more fans to get to. He handed the signed poster to her, grabbing her hand again as she extended it, and planted a soft kiss on the back of her hand. He heard her gasp, and looking up again, he murmured, "It was very nice to meet you, Naomi."

"You too, Bill," she said in a voice that clearly reflected her shock at having a world-famous rockstar kiss her hand. The security guard was reminding Phoenix to "keep it moving," and he pulled her along with him. Bill watched her go, his heart beat finally returning to normal.

Gustav coughed loudly, getting Bill's attention. "What?" he asked innocently. Tom raised his eyebrows, bouncing them up and down suggestively. "Bow chicka wow wow! Bill's got a girlfriend!" he teased in a sing-song voice.

"Oh, shut up," Bill retorted half-heartedly. Turning to where Naomi had walked away, he found she had disappeared. _Well, at least she has my number, _he thought hopefully.

"She seemed to like you," Gustav remarked, already signing a CD for the next fan.

"Seemed like her friend liked you," Bill muttered to Tom quietly. He had absently noticed Tom and Phoenix talking. "You two were…what's the phrase? 'Chatting it up.'" He used air quotes.

"Nah, Tom said. "He didn't react nearly as well to me as he did to you." His voice didn't sound sad, or bitter, or disappointed. On the contrary, it had a strength to it, as if he looked forward to the challenge of winning over Phoenix's attentions.

"Yeah, well," Bill said with a roll of his eyes. "People always assume I'm the gay one."

"I jotted down my number. He should realize it's not for his friend, since I didn't even talk to her. Maybe I'll just keep dropping hints…" he mused.

Third Person POV

"Did you see this?" Phoenix pointed to the poster. "Tom and Bill have us their numbers!"

"Really?" I asked, tugging the poster towards me and examining their autographs under the next streetlight. We were walking to where we had parked.

A sudden thought hit me. "Why Tom?" I wondered. "Bill, I could see, because he talked to both of us and he seemed straight to me, but Tom only talked to you and he didn't seem gay…" I looked over to my best friend. He was entering the numbers into his Droid, which had been a "Happy 17th!" present from his parents. He hadn't been paying attention to me at all.

"Don't tell me you're going to call them right now! They're still signing! At least until tomorrow, sheesh," I said exasperatedly.

"I know, _Mom,_" Phoenix tossed back. "How long d'you think I should wait? They always say they sleep late in interviews, and I don't want to wake them up…"

"Hmm," I said. I pulled my Blackjack out of my pocket. "On second thought, let's just send them a text now, and that way they'll have our numbers, and they can call us." I typed the numbers into my phone, fired off a quick text saying, "Hey, it's Naomi," then turned to Phoenix. "Should I send it to Bill only, or both of them? I didn't even talk to Tom."

Phoenix contemplated for a second, then shrugged and said, "Both, I guess."

"Are you texting both of them, then?" I asked. I selected both Kaulitzes in my contacts list and hit send.

"Yeah," he said, carefully pressing the touch screen letters.

"I don't know how you can stand those damn touch screens. They make typing impossible," I grumbled.

He grinned cheekily at me. "You're just jealous. But if it makes you feel better, you just keep telling yourself that."

We had reached our car now. Phoenix's car, really; I just borrowed it occasionally. Since I pitched in for gas, Phoenix had made a copy of the key for me. I was a much safer driver than him anyway, not that he would admit it.

Climbing in the passenger side, I snorted a laugh. "Uh, yeah, 'cause I text twice as fast as you. Keyboards beat touch screens _any _day."

"Whatever," he said, sliding in the driver's seat and starting the car. I turned on the radio, turning it to a station that played alternative, and after buckling up, Phoenix glided easily out of our parking space and sped down the street.


	5. Talk It Out

Chapter Three: Talk It Out

"Do you think she'll call me?" Bill asked, fidgeting nervously with his rings.

"Chill out, dude," Georg said. "I was on the other end of the table, and I could still see her staring at you the way girls do. I'd make sure your phone is fully charged; you're going to be using it soon if I'm right, and I always am."

Tom reached into the console, and, without taking his eyes off the road once, pulled out the mobile phone charger for his brother's phone and tossed it to him.

"Thanks, Tomi," he said, plugging his phone in. The screen lit up with the charging symbol and Bill saw that he already had a new text message. Two, in fact. He scanned them quickly, his face breaking into a smile.

"See? What'd I tell you?" Georg smirked.

Tom pulled his own phone out of his pocket and handed it to Bill, asking, "Can you check mine, too, please?"

"Sure," Bill said, hitting send on the message he had already typed to Naomi. He tapped out a quick "Hey" to Phoenix, then turned to Tom's phone.

"Did you both give her your number?" asked Georg in surprise. Tom and Bill hadn't fought over a girl in what seemed like forever.

"Yeah," Bill said, covering his twin's back. They could cross that bridge when they got to it. He opened the inbox and commented, "Oh, they _both _texted you."

"Oh, great. You're not going to fight over her, are you?" Georg sighed, talking over Bill's last remark.

Gustav had heard, however, and said in a knowing voice, "They won't." Tom looked at Bill with a raised eyebrow. Bill turned and directed the same look to Gustav.

"What?" he asked innocently, raising his own eyebrow right back. "You'd better not. I always have to play peacemaker." He inclined his head the tiniest degree towards Georg, indicating that he was elaborating to keep him in the dark.

Bill accepted his reason and let his gaze slide vaguely over Georg's face as he turned his head back towards Tom, verifying that he hadn't noticed anything. The bassist was rubbing his eyes tiredly and did not appear to have noticed anything odd about the conversation. The younger Kaulitz twin gave a small nod to the elder, and he visibly relaxed. Bill settled back in his seat and read the message that had just popped up on his phone. Smiling again, he replied rapidly, sent it off, and closed his eyes.

Bill stepped out onto the balcony attached to his hotel room. He smiled as he thought of the night's events. He had always said in interviews that he believed in love at first sight, and that he had no objections to dating a fan, but he had never thought he'd actually find his special someone. Wasn't that the entire point behind "Menschen Suchen Menschen?" Everyone searches for their one love, but with so many people in this world, you could look forever and not find them.

He sighed. He had just barely met Naomi and already he was letting doubts creep in. _Give it some time, _he thought. _Just because you think it's unlikely that _everyone _else can find their other half, doesn't mean it's impossible for you to find _your _other half. After all, how much of the world have you seen already? With all the places you've been, it's not_ _impossible._

_ Click._

Bill looked toward the source of the noise he had just heard. It came from the balcony on his right, where Tom was standing with a freshly lit cigarette in his mouth, leaning against the fence separating them. Wordlessly, Bill held out his hand, and his dread-locked brother dug another cigarette out of the pack in his pajama pocket. He handed him the lighter as well, and with another soft _click,_ they both had lit cigarettes.

A moment passed in silence before Bill said, "So. You seem tense. What's on your mind?"

Tom blew a smoke ring into the slight breeze floating past. "Nothing," he said. "Just…it seemed like Gustav knew more than he's letting on, is all." He took another drag on his cigarette. "I just…I don't know if I'm ready for this. I wasn't planning on telling them anytime soon."

"You would've had to tell them at some point, though," Bill said. "I mean, eventually they'll figure it out anyway. Or Georg will. It _does _seem like Gustav knows. Not that he'd say anything if he does know, but…you should tell them soon." He pressed his mouth to the cigarette again.

Tom sighed. "Yeah, I know," he admitted.

"Do you want me to be there when you do?" Bill asked.

A couple minutes passed before Tom responded. "If you would," he said, looking uncertainly at his younger brother. A relieved half-smile crossed his face when Bill nodded his agreement. "Of course, Tomi."

"Great. Thank you," Tom said. He took a quick puff on his cigarette, then dropped it to the ground and extinguished it with his shoe.

"When do you want to tell them?" Bill asked, putting out his cigarette, too.

Tom thought it over. "Well…we're finished with the tour, thank God, so if they react badly it won't be too obvious to the public. We aren't going back to Germany for a while, either, so it won't be too apparent to our parents and such, either…I guess I might as well do it while we're here. The sooner the better, and that way they have a while to adjust before we're back in the public eye again." He straightened up, stretching. "Tomorrow, then."

"Okay," his younger brother said. "And remember, no matter what happens, I'll still be here. You're stuck with me," he grinned.

Tom smiled and extended his arms above his head. "Good night, kiddo," he yawned. "And thanks."

"No problem," Bill replied, going back into his room. He pulled his shirt off over his head. Tossed his pants across the room, and threw himself into bed.

Tom remained outside for a few more minutes, staring over the city lights, then went in to bed as well. Tomorrow would be an eventful day.


	6. Bonus Chapter 55 Actions and Reactions

It's been a while since I've updated, I know. I'm actually trying to pass this year of school, though, seeing as college is only a year away and it's time I got my butt in gear. So, without any further ado, here's a bonus chapter to hold you over while I type up the next one. It should be posted by Friday, an early Halloween present for you all. Happy reading!

Bonus Chapter 5.5: Actions and Reactions

Tom woke up the next morning with a feeling of dread in his stomach. He lay there for almost 20 minutes, his guts churning, anxiety burning a hot course through his body. He felt as though he were going to be sick, and when he could stand it no longer he went into the bathroom and forced himself to puke. When he was done he rinsed his mouth out, brushed his teeth twice, and gargled, successful getting the taste out of his mouth.

Strangely, it had calmed him, and he went about the rest of his morning routine in a blank state.

Eventually, he found himself walking in the direction of the hotel's private dining room, his younger brother at his side, casting him reassuring smiles.

With a sigh, he willed himself onward.

TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH~TH

The door shut behind him as he followed the drummer and bassist into their room. They sat down and turned to look at him, their faces expectant. He cleared his throat and scratched at the base of his neck, fingers twisting into his dreads nervously. Bill glanced at him with bright eyes and his lips curved up ever so slightly. With a sigh, Tom let his hands drop back down to his sides.

Georg opened his mouth to say something. Bill shot him a look and said lowly, "Wait." He turned back to his twin and smiled again, urging him on.

Glancing at each of them in turn, Tom sighed again and let the words tumble from his lips.

"I'm gay," he muttered, now looking out the window.

Dead silence filled the room for a few seconds, suffocating him in its grip. His heart clenched tightly as he awaited their reaction. Would they be condemning? Hating? Or would they rush to hug him, be supporting? These thoughts and others circled rapidly through Tom's mind, forming a tornado.

"Uh…are you being serious?" Georg questioned.

Tom directed his gaze to the floor. "Yeah," he mumbled, increasingly worried. His forehead wrinkled in anticipation.

"Oh, man. Fuck. Wow. I'm sorry. Shit," the bassist said, clearly taken aback.

"What?" Bill let out a whoosh of air he hadn't realized he was holding and stood up, eyes flashing angrily. He had seen the anger fill his twin's eyes as that sentence was spoken, his maternal (1) instincts kicking in to protect Tom.

"Wha-" Georg stated. "Oh, no, not like that! I meant, I'm sorry for that argument that day on the bus. I didn't mean…you know I'm not like that. I didn't mean to imply it's a bad thing."

Bill relaxed again, settling back into his chair, apologizing with his eyes.

Gustav finally spoke up. "It's alright. I kinda figured it out."

Tom glanced up quickly. "What? How? Is it that obvious?" he asked, his tongue darting to play with his lip ring anxiously.

"No," the drummer assured him. "But that day on the bus, I put the pieces together. Why Bill always looks at you after saying 'No,' when people ask if he's gay, why he always acts so feminine, trying to distract people, why you never have a girlfriend…" he trailed off with a shrug. "Plus you just shut down completely after that fight."

It was the most he had said in a while, and Tom stared for a second. "Oh. Well…." He said, touched.

Gustav shrugged.

"So…" Bill said. "Are we all okay?"

"Yeah, man," Georg answered, getting up to give the guitarist a brief guy-hug. Gustav followed suit, and then they all found themselves standing around awkwardly.

"So…who wants to play video games?" Tom asked.


End file.
